What in the heck is this world coming to????????

I'm so angry and frustrated and heartbroken.

Jasmine came home from school yesterday crying her eyes out, when I sat down to talk to her and find out what the problem was she told me her best friend said she didn't want to be her friend anymore...........ok...........I know it's upsetting but it's part of life and something we all go through, but through my comforting her she just seemed to get more and more upset and finally told me that another girl from third grade had come and taken her best friend from her and right after her friend told her this, this other girl told Jasmine that if she ever came near her friend again she would "KILL HER". I'm sorry but WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?

Apparently this has been going on for weeks, this girl has been terrorizing Jasmine, threatening to punch her and give her "a black eye" and yesterday just upped the terror to saying she would kill her. I don't take things like this lightly and when your 8 year old child is crying unconsolably and saying over and over "this is the worst day of my life".........SOMETHING needs to be done.

Even worse is that there were other kids around who witnessed it and went straight to the teacher to tell her what had happened, only to be told "she gets a freebie"

Curt and I were livid and within 10 minutes he had gone to the school, told them what had been happening and removed Jasmine from the school.

Here was a child who absolutely loves school and would often get mad if she was sick and couldn't go, and now she's begging to be homeschooled and not be forced to go back. It's really heartbreaking and as a parenting it's hard to deal with the fact that you send your children off in the morning and thinking everything is fine, only to find out they've been treated this way. It disgusts me and infuriates me.

We have instilled very strong values and morals in Jasmine and she knows how to be with other kids, she knows that bullying is unacceptable and knows to be fair and nice to everyone around her. So to hear a child like this say to you "I don't deserve to be treated this way" tears at my heart strings.

Curt talked to the principal this morning and the girl has been dealt with, she tried to deny saying it but there were witnesses and the vice principal himself says he doesn't believe that she didn't say it, so she's been suspended for a day and told that if she ever threatens or talks to Jasmine or anyone else in that way she will be expelled NO.QUESTIONS.ASKED.

So she's back to school on monday, the want her to return and will talk to her and the others and get this sorted out completely. I just ask that you keep her in your prayers, she's still really upset and shaken and this really got to her, she's being brave and willing to return to school but she's scared and worried and she knows that if it ever happens again she will be removed for good and will be homeschooled.

Here's my issue..........we all know that kids can be mean and brutal at times but for an 8 year old to go around threatening to kill people, that is NOT normal and with things nowadays in schools this should not be taken lightly. Please, if you have little ones and they tell you they're not liking school or other kids don't want to play with them.....TALK and TALK some more, if I hadn't pushed Jasmine yesterday we never would have found out that this had been going on for a couple weeks now.

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On to other things, Susanne tagged me for the middle name meme and I thought I hadn't done it yet, but turns out I did a couple weeks ago, so I'm giving you the link to it, right here.

Curt had the week off and it was great having him home, I'm going to miss him when he returns to work next week, but such is life right???

I'm almost done with my first book in the Reading Challenge, I'm truly enjoying the Tucker Mills Trilogy from Lori Wick, I have yet to find one of her books that I don't like.

I had so much to tell you all and I just seem to be drawing a blank so I'm going to leave it at this, if I try to fill it up with stuff it will just come off as nonsense LOL

Hope you all have a great friday!

Slow Cooking Thursday!!!

Before I start I want to tell you about something going on in Blogland, for those of you who have been around for a while you may remember the wonderful lady at "Overwhelmed with Joy" hosting the Holiday Cooking Blogger Style last year.

Well she's doing it again and I'm definitely going to be participating, I shared some of my family's favorite Holiday recipes last year and can't wait to share more. So if this is something you're interested in doing, just go on over and read the rules and explanation.


Morning ladies, it's thursday and time for another Slow Cooking Thursday. I'm sporting a new SCT banner so go ahead and update your old ones when you get a chance.

Thank you again to all the participants, I've gotten such a wonderful collection of recipes already and can't wait to see more.

Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

BURGUNDY MEATLOAF

2 lbs. ground beef
2 eggs
1 c. soft bread crumbs
1 onion, chopped
1/2 c. Burgundy wine or beef broth
1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1 T. fresh basil, chopped
1-1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
5 slices bacon
1 bay leaf
8-oz. can tomato sauce

Combine ground beef, eggs, crumbs, onion, wine or broth and seasonings in a large bowl; mix well and set aside. Criss-cross 3 bacon slices on a 12-inch square of aluminum foil. Form meat mixture into a 6-inch round loaf on top of bacon. Cut remaining bacon slices in half; arrange on top of meatloaf. Place bay leaf on top. Lift meatloaf by aluminum foil into a slow cooker; cover and cook on high setting for one hour. Reduce to low setting and continue cooking, covered, for an additional 4 hours. Remove meatfloaf from slow cooker by lifting foil. Place on a serving platter, discarding foil, bacon and bay leaf.
Warm tomato sauce and spoon over sliced meatloaf. Serves 4 to 6.

**Tote alonge a slow-cooker dish to the church supper or neighborhood block party..plug it back in as soon as you arrive. The food will be hot and tasty!**

LOVE Fall season!!!

What gets me is not just the changing in the colors, the brisk air, the cuddling on the couch with a blanket or smelling the stew or soup cooking away on the stove....I mean all of those are just but a fraction of why I love Autumn so much, but with it comes the TV line ups, the new shows and the return of beloved old ones. I'm so excited, it's like being pregnant and after months and months of anticipation you're finally getting to see the beautiful baby in your arms....but without all the pushing and pain of labor. LOL

Well I'm there people, I'm oohing and aahing over the tv line ups, all my favorites back and with a vengeance.

Last night marked the return of Dancing with the Stars and good grief was I blown away, I've always loved Jane Seymour and Marie Osmond and I remember Jennie Garth from my younger Beverly Hills 90210 days, but watching them perform I was just amazed at how good most of them were, I mean I have to say the only one that really didn't catch my attention at all was Josie Maran, I think she's the first out of there........but then in comes Sabrina (Cheetah Girls) and LORDY she shocked me. I had the goofiest smile on my face and couldn't believe my eyes, this girl can MOVE and I think this is one of the couples to beat.

I can't say for certain, I haven't seen the men yet, I'm so excited to see Cameron Matthison and Wayne Newton on there, who do I root for???? I am a little shallow, so I'm eyeing out Cameron and secretly rooting for the professional dancer Maksim...........just because they're so delicious LOL

Then I watched The Bachelor Season Premiere.......I don't know, I think he's very good looking and a wonderful guy but some of those girls....ay ay ay. What was up with the webbed feet and the broken face and nose and the human pretzel????

I just can't help but shake my head at the extent some of these girls will go to try and get the bachelor, it's actually pretty disgusting so I'm not sure I'll continue watching this show.

Not that it matters because between Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Ghost Hunters, Most Haunted, Gossip Girl, Dancing with the Stars, Private Practice, October Road and my FAVORITE FAVORITE Brothers and Sisters, who has time for more shows????

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I have to remind you again of Katrina's Fall into Reading 2007, I loved visiting all the lists and seeing what is being read across blog land. There were some really good books out there. It was funny cause I sat down to go through the blogs and Curt asked why I had a drink, a notepad and a pen just to visit blogs LOL
Well honey, there's so many good books out there, I had to take notes and that's exactly what I did, I noticed that a lot of you are talking about Peace like a River so now I need to read it too, I don't want to be left out of the loop.

I'm almost done with the first book in my list "Moonlight on the Millpond" by Lori Wick, goodness I love this author and I zip through ther books. Really enjoy the Christian romance that she writes.

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Sunday I made The Best Chili Ever and I tell you, the name does NOT lie. I had it slow cooking all day long and the last hour or so the family was constantly asking me "is it ready?", "can we eat now?". It was REALLY good and it was easy and that made me happy. I've written it down to the family favorites and will definitely be making it again, so thank you Betsy for the recipe. BIG THUMBS UP!!!

I also tried the Slow Cooker Orange Chicken last week, it was ok, we enjoyed it but it's not one I think I will be making again, the family wasn't too impressed.

Now do you want to see what I have in my crockpot right now???


It smells heavenly, I've had this on my menu for the past 2 weeks and somehow always ended up not making it, so today was the day. Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken with Mushrooms and Potatoes.

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Curt has the week off so I've enjoyed having him with me during the day, the kids are thrilled to see daddy all the time and Jasmine is especially happy that daddy gets to walk her to and from school, something that does not happen very often.

Jasmine is doing great in school and is being tested for the Gifted Program so she's super excited. She really is a great student and loves school and learning, of course I don't fool myself into believing this may always be the case, I have myself as an example of that, I started off loving school and then grew to despise it. Just hope she's able to keep this attitude.

Nicholas is growing and being a usual 4 year old boy, he's pushing our buttons and seeing just how far he can go. It's hard and it's at the point where taking anywhere is a hassle, he doesn't listen, he is very set in his ways and it has to be NOW. He doesn't understand why things have to happen at a certain time and I find myself looking him and seeing myself and my relationship with God.

I tend to do the same thing, I want something and I want it NOW....why do I have to wait??? Why does it have to be when He wants it and not when I think I should have it??? I'm but a child in this aspect, throwing my tantrums and pushing his buttons and demanding things be taken care of right this minute. I have to keep reminding myself that just like I feel frustrated when I know that Nicholas not listening even when I know something is for his own good.....that is how God must be feeling with me. Certainly a lesson in patience and "waiting with a purpose".

Anyway, I need to finish my laundry and other housework I have before Curt and Nicholas return from picking Jasmine up at school. I hope you all have a wonderful tuesday....I'll be watching the men dancing tonight, keeping my fingers crossed that they all do well :)

I'll also be trying to come by and say hi to you all, I truly apologize for slacking in that area but I will make it up to you.

God Bless,

It's that time again!!!!

I LOVE Fall, it's by far my favorite season. With Fall comes the changing colors of the leaves, the brisk cool air, the smell of stews and soups and the chance to cuddle on the couch with a blanket and a good book.

Callapider Days Fall into Reading 2007 is starting and I'm like a kid in a candy store, running around getting my books together and eager to get through my TBR pile.

So come along, if you want to participate all you need to do is grab a list of your books to be read and run on over to Callapider Days. One thing I love about this is that I get so many good ideas for other books to read, by the end of the challenge I'm usually doubling or tripling my pile with all the great additions.

I've got mine all ready and here we go:



The Tucker Mills Trilogy by Lori Wick

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Highlander in her Bed by Allie Mackay

This randy paranormal romance pits a burned-out ghost-hunting tour guide against a cranky person-hunting ghost. After her last skeptical jaunt into London's haunted past, Mara McDougall stumbles upon an antique store and finds the enormous medieval bed of her dreams. She buys it, despite the strange warning of a stunning but rude man who tells her, "The bed is mine, wench." Just as she's about to leave London, she learns that a friend in the tourist business has left her a huge Scottish castle—and a catch: she must make the place into a memorial to the MacDougall clan of Scotland.

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By Design, By Arrangement and By Possession by Madeline Hunter


Another trilogy from the Historical Romance Author, the are all set in the 14th century.

By Design - A woman with a hidden past, running from danger and pursuing a quest for justice A disillusioned freedom fighter, being drawn into a rebellion he would like to avoid Fate brings them together---and then threatens to tear them apart.

By Arrangement - He saw her and wanted her and paid the King a fortune to have her.
At least that is what everyone thinks.
But Christiana suspects that there is more to her arranged marriage than that, and much more to her future husband than he lets the world see.

By Possession - A returning hero, scarred in body and soul. A serf-born woman, who had once loved him from afar. A passionate desire, and an impossible love.

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The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn

This Regency concerns Miranda Cheever, who fell in love with the aristocratic Nigel Bevelstoke, Viscount Turner, when she was 10 and he 19. Now 20, and still in love, Miranda's designs are thwarted by the indiscretions of Nigel's late wife—heartbroken, Nigel isn't willing to risk another shot at love, even if it means hurting his close friend Miranda.

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To Sir Phillip with Love by Julia Quinn

After a year of secret correspondence, Eloise Bridgerton traveled halfway across England to meet Sir Phillip Crane, the man she hoped would be her perfect match.
He wasn't.
But she can't help but wonder... could this imperfect man be perfect for her?

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On the way to the wedding by Julia Quinn

Lucy is engaged. And her uncle is not inclined to let her back out of the betrothal, even once Gregory comes to his senses and realizes that it is Lucy, with her sharp wit and sunny smile, who makes his heart sing. And now, on the way to the wedding, Gregory must risk everything to ensure that when it comes time to kiss the bride, he is the only man standing at the altar...

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Wedding Ring by Emilie Richards

For Helen, Nancy, and Tessa, three generations of Henry women, quilts truly represent the fabric of their lives. Using scraps of feed sacks, wedding gowns, and baby clothes, matriarch Helen has chronicled her family in the hundreds of quilts she's made. Helen is now a recluse beset by an irrational paranoia that induces her to hoard everything she can, and her bizarre behavior motivates her daughter, Nancy, and granddaughter, Tessa, to spend their summer cleaning out their Shenandoah Valley homestead.

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My Heart may be broken, but my hair still looks great by Dixie Cash

Welcome to Salt Lick, Texas, home of big hair,big ranches, and two of the biggest busybodies everto wield a blow-dryer -- Debbie Sue and Edwina,also known as the Domestic Equalizers. Their motto:Don't run over him -- get over him! Their mission: Track down and expose your straying man. And theywon't stop until female domestic justice is served. Debbie Sue Overstreet and Edwina Perkins-Martin have never encountered a problem that couldn't be fixed with a strong margarita, a whole lot of hairspray, and an ear for gossip.

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NON FICTION

Pursued by the Shepherd by Karon Phillips Goodman

At one time or another, most women feel like lost sheep desiring to be rescued by the Shepherd. Whether misguided by mistakes, lost in muddled priorities, or alone in denial, every woman needs encouragement, understanding, and guidance on reuniting with God. Karon Phillips Goodman’s Pursued by the Shepherd explores how women become lost and reveals they are never so lost that the Shepherd won’t search for them.

Escape the Coming Night by Dr David Jeremiah

No one can deny that the world is in trouble. Tragedy stalks our streets. Violence and bloodshed fill the news. How do we explain so much chaos? Is there any hope for peace in our time? Dr. David Jeremiah's dramatic narrative on the Book of Revelation answers these and many more challenging questions, by unraveling the imagery and explaining the significance of the events described in the last book of the Bible. Within its pages are the hope and encouragement we need to lift us from the gloom of present events to the promise of a brilliant future.

The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel

Strobel, whose apologetics titles The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith have enjoyed strong popularity among evangelicals, approaches creation/evolution issues in the same simple and energetic style.

And there you have it, my list or should I say, PART of my to be read pile, couldn't possibly list all the books on my shelf, there's too many, so I picked the ones I really want to get to this fall and I'm sticking with these. I do tend to read books really fast so I'm sure I'll add more eventually.

For now, I'm done, and I'm heading to my reading chair with my first book in hand.......feel free to look around, help yourselves to some tea or coffee or one of the yummy snacks I always have laying around.

I'm cold in Arizona!!!!

Yep, you read that right, I said I.AM.COLD.IN.ARIZONA!!!! How's that for an opening statement????

It's been raining and today it's cloudy and I feel chilly, I should be shocked or in disbelief and I mean I am a little, but it reminds me of Idaho so I'm happy. See I'm easily pleased!

I've been bad with updating my blog but in my defense, it's been hard to type with the pain in my wrist. It's doing much better and one of the cysts is completely gone, the bigger one is taking a little longer but that's fine, it's nice to be able to bend my wrist without seeing these huge balls sticking out, it was yucky and I'm sure not very nice to look at LOL

Remember how I told you that usually when I'm not feeling well or in pain is when I get the urge to cook??? It's really something because you would think I would not put myself through that but for some reason I just do, so I was craving some jam and decided to get to work on it. I did!!! I ended up with 5 jars of the yummiest jam I've had in a long time.


The best was Curt and the kid's reactions, I handed them a slice of bread with jam on it and they started eating and ooohing an aaahing, then I casually threw in there "I made it". The chewing stopped and they all looked at me like I had grown a second head, maybe they thought the pain medication for the wrist was getting to my head LOL

There's nothing like making something in your kitchen and getting a big thumbs up!

Right now I have Orange Chicken cooking away in the crockpot, have I told you lately that I love you how much I love my crockpot?

It really does make things so much easier and I know that I'm a stay at home mom, but even we have days that we're not feeling well, or had surgery or are in pain or whatever the case may be, could even be that we just want to spend the day with the family without worrying about sitting in the kitchen fixing a meal. Thank you to the Rival product designer that invented the crockpot back in the 1970's........you have no idea how much you've helped us all.

It's a lazy day for me, I don't feel like doing anything and we're planning on staying home, watching movies and doing absolutely nothing. Those are usually the best days I think, you forget about the time, there's no schedules to keep, no school and work or appointments, no need to get things done by a certain time......it's just an easy day all around, meals are leftovers or whatever you feel like, you want to nap...go for it.......read, play on the computer, play with the kids, whatever, just do it.

So I'm heading out, all I have to do today is run to the library to return movies but come on, who could call that a chore or an errand really??? I love the library so it's a reward for me, I did a great job all week on the house, I reward myself with a couple books...........for me personally there is nothing better than a book, makes me giddy, there's something about opening it up and not knowing what to expect, smelling the pages, feeling the corse paper on your fingertips....yes it's pure heaven!!!

Slow Cooking Thursday!!!

Morning ladies, it's thursday and time for another Slow Cooking Thursday. I'm sporting a new SCT banner so go ahead and update your old ones when you get a chance.

Thank you again to all the participants, I've gotten such a wonderful collection of recipes already and can't wait to see more.

Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

Today I'm sharing 2 recipes from my new Gooseberry Patch "Slow Cooker Recipes" it's FULL of great doable recipes and I can't wait to start trying them.

Honey Mustard Short Ribs

"Thaw frozen roasts before slow cooking, if possible. Otherwise, cook on high for the first hour, then reduce to low and cook as usual....ingredients will rise quickly to a safe temperate"

3 to 4 lbs. bone in beef short ribs
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. hickory smoke-flavored barbecue sauce
3 T. honey
1 T. Dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. cold water

Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper; place in a slow cooker and set aside. Combine barbecue sauce, honey, mustard, garlic and additional salt and pepper, if desired; pour over ribs. Cover and cook on low setting for 6 to 7 hours. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, whisk cornstarch into water; add to slow cooker, stirring until thickened.
Serves 4.

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Easy-Peasy Berry Cobbler

Stock up during berry-picking season for delicious desserts! Lay unwashed berries on baking sheeets and freeze, then pack into bags for the freezer. When you're ready to use them, rinse berries in a colander. They'll thaw quickly.

16-oz. pkg. frozen mixed berries
1/2 c. sugar
12-oz. tube refrigerated biscuits
cinnamon to taste

Pour frozen berries into a slow cooker and stir in sugar. Arrange biscuits on top; sprinkle with cinnamon to taste. Cover and cook on high setting for 3 hours. Serve warm.
Makes 8 to 12 servings.

Updates and a Blog Award!!!

I know I haven't blogged since monday and I wanted to but I couldn't handle being on the computer typing with my wrist hurt. The aspiration of the cysts went well, the first day was fine because I was still numbed up but once it started wearing off then it became painful.

It's frustrating having the bandage tight on your wrist for 2 days, it gets hot and itchy and then at times I felt like it was cutting off my blood supply to my hand. I had the coldest hand there for a while LOL

Thank God, I was able to remove the bandage this morning and though I still have a tiny little bump, it's nothing compared to the huge cysts I had before. It still hurts to type and move it around but I'm sure it will be fine in a day or two.

So now that you know what kept me off the blog for the past two days, I can tell you about the wonderful award I got from my friend Mari over at "My Little Corner of the World".

You make me smile Award:


"the thing that I love most about blogging is that I learn so much about a person just by reading their blog. I have met MANY wonderful people with wonderful stories to tell,and I am grateful every day for each person that I have the pleasure of crossing paths in life with.I wanted to create something special for ten people who have inspired me through their blogging; the stories they tell, and the lives that they lead with grace and dignity. I visit their blogs for inspiration and encouragement.Although there are MANY people I want to give this award to at this very moment, I am going to choose ten bloggers:Please grab your badge and wear it(with a smile) proudly, and pass it on because you inspire and encourage me, thank you.So, now it is my turn to pass it on. "

Thank you Mari, you're such a sweet person and I'm honored :) I would give it back to you but you already have it, oh well.

So now here's my 10 nominees and the order means nothing obviously so don't get worried if your name is last LOL

Sherry - I just love her blog, she's a christian, homeschooling mom and just like me she has an immense love for books. She posts about her day and cooking and budgets and all that goodie stuff!

Kelli - Well I don't even know where to start with Kelli, she makes me smile in so many ways, either she's decorating or crafting or cooking or coming up with brilliant ideas like her Seasonal Magazine. There's just always something to smile about over there!

Andrea - Fellow military wife, she has the cutest blog and some of the cutest kids around and she just cracks me up with her posts.

Courtney - Another fellow military wife, I've known Court for a while now, actually since her hubby was in Iraq, I remember going through the whole year with her on her blog.....just love her, she always brings a smile to my face.

Elizabeth - Another one of my favorites, she is like a mother figure to me, always there with a smile and great advice, she's so sweet and I love her blog. I've learnt a lot reading her posts.

Michelle - And yet another fellow air force wife. I always smile when I visit her blog, she has the cutest stories to tell about Kayla (her beautiful little girl) and right now her hubby is deployed, so she needs extra TLC from us all. Go on over and say hi, you won't regret it :)

Stacy - Stacy always makes me smile, she has the Question of the Day and some are so funny, but it's such a blast to participate. She also has a site with some of the best recipes around....just for that alone I have a huge grin on my face :)

Barb - Oh what to say about Barb, I'm already laughing and I haven't even said anything. This lady is like a cross between Martha Stewart and Paula Deen, she just amazes me and she makes me laugh until it hurts with her posts. Thank you Barb for the smiles....you have no idea how much I love you and your blog.

Smilinsigh - Mari-Nanci is another mother hen to me LOL She can easily have me in stitches or she'll be cracking the whip and snapping me back to reality. I just love her blog, always puts a smile on my face, even when she's completely confused over the mishaps of blogger LOL

Jen - I can't tell you how many times Jen and I have laughed over the fact that we have so much in common and seem to go through the same things at times LOL She makes me smile and I love chatting with her, whether it's on the blog or through email. So thank you for the smiles too :)

And there you have it, only 10 of the favorite bloggers I have because actually, if you look on my sidebar under my Blogrolling, THOSE are all my smiley friends. No really, I'm not just saying it, every single one of those ladies bring a huge smile to my face, so because I can't list them all.............something about it not being in the rules for this post or whatnot.......I'm going to award them the Smile Award anyway. Yes, I'm a rebel and I break the rules, oh well, it's life LOL

Consider yourselves awarded, that is for everyone on my blog roll.

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Even though my wrist hurts, I've managed to keep up with the house work and the cooking etc. so I'm proud to say that I didn't stray from the menu, if anything I'm actually somehow a day ahead, go figure.

I got the results back from my blood test and I have no cholesterol, no diabetes and my thyroid is normal. How's that for a surprise??? I was honestly expecting to hear that I had at least Cholesterol though I was freaking out wondering how I could cut back on my yummy food. I am just a foodaholic, I can't be told not to eat this or that cause my body just rebels and then eats everything in site.

The doctor said "whatever you're doing, keep doing it, it seems to be working"........my reply "I'm just eating"

So anyway, for dinner tonight I'm making Sandra's Mock Jambalaya, you can find the recipe on my blog but here is the link for you just in case you're lazy like me and don't want to have to go search over there LOL

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I'm already gathering my stuff for christmas presents, I plan on doing a lot of homemade gifts, not because I don't want to buy anything but I always think they mean so much more. Am I right???

Since I have to send most of them to South Africa, I figure I'll start early so that I can get everything there in time.....and no, I'm not saying what I'm making because my family reads the blog and there's no way I'm ruining the surprise.

Besides, I miss crafting and sewing and need to get back into it now that school is underway and I'm no longer watching General Hospital until the writers bring back the real characters and quit shoving these pathetic clones in our faces. Yes, I'm bitter, when you've watched a soap for many years and then are faced with a huge complete mess on screen, it tends to do this. LOL

I'm also dying for the new fall season of shows to start on tv. Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Ghost Hunters, Most Haunted, House and so forth.........there's so many to pick from and I love them all so when the new season gets underway I'm usually recording and rewatching just to keep up.

Well my friends, I wish I could chat longer but my wrist hurts and I don't want to push it. I also have to get dinner going and make some Tomato Jam, been craving it like crazy for a while. Guess I should channel my greatgrandmother to come help me make it, she always made THE best Tomato Jam around.

Don't forget the Slow Cooking Thursday tomorrow, I'll be sharing some recipes from the new Gooseberry Patch Slow Cooker Book I got, goodness there's such good ones in there I'm sure I'll have a hard time picking.

See you all tomorrow, God Bless,

Welcome to my Neighborhood!!!

Kathleen is hosting this feature today and I'm so excited to see everyone's neighborhoods. I almost didn't make it in time to post, I had two cysts aspirated from my left wrist this morning so I'm typing kind of slow and in pain. I didn't want to miss out though, so here I am :)

To see more neighborhoods, head on over to Kathleen's blog.

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Welcome to LUKE AFB in Glendale, Arizona

Well come on in to my house, I have some Honey Lemon Tea and some blender pie fresh out of the oven for you.


As you all know we've moved here just two months ago so we don't really know anyone or anything.

We're a military family and we live on a base in Glendale, Arizona. Just like many other military bases it's a place where you feel a true sense of family and community, you're safe inside the gates, your children play outside until late and you sometimes feel like you live in a different world.

As the U.S. Air Force’s largest fighter wing and the only active duty F-16 training base in the world, Luke Air Force Base plays a critical role in protecting America’s freedom and security. And with over 8,000 employees and a financial impact of nearly $2 billion annually, Luke Air Force Base is key to the state of Arizona’s economic viability.

The base is separated into two sections, the housing, commissary and school etc on one side and then across the road, and through another gate, you have the actual working part of the base, the squadrons and post office, library etc.

As always with military bases, there's construction going on, they're always trying to update housing areas and so we moved in and that same week we had demolition going on across the street.

The houses on the right side, behind that black fencing, have all been torn down.

Huge Palm Tree in my front yard.....the roads here are full of palm trees, which I found so weird being that it's Arizona and so dry, it's funny seeing cactus and palm trees all together LOL

My house is in front of the white truck, and down the street you can see the school.

Now if you go out the housing gate and through the other one, you are on the "working" side of the base. This is where all the squadrons, flightline etc is located.



Surrounding the base you can find Sonic, McDonald's, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and a couple other food places and then if you drive in either direction away from the base, you find all the bigger stores, Target and Walmart, Kohls, Shopping Malls etc.

Glendale is also home to the Phoenix Cardinal Stadium which is just 5 minutes from where we live.



There's the Historic Downtown Glendale which is littered with Antique stores enough to drive you crazy.....



Now if you like sight seeing, then you may want to go check out the Historic Sahuaro Ranch, it's only about 5 minutes from us....This park is unique with it's historic ranch buildings and its recreational park areas. Visitors can picnic, play on the playgrounds, visit with chickens, view peacocks, explore the old ranch grounds or play a ball game.

If you're a bookaholic like I AM, then you may want to check out the Glendale Public Library, it's HUGE. Seriously, it's like stepping into a Barnes and Noble or Borders, they even have their books set up on shelves like them. They also have a big Booksale section where you can pick up tons of books for as little as 25c.

If you're looking for some family fun, then the best place to head to is the Rawhide Steakhouse and Western Town, if you're brave enough you can even try Rattlesnake for lunch. I can't claim that honor because I ate it without knowing what it was LMAO




There's plenty of Ghost Towns around to visit too and then there's the wonderful Phoenix Zoo and Wildlife Zoo etc. Lots to do in this town!!!

Thanks for dropping by, I hope you enjoyed the tour. God Bless!!

Space Center and Cabela's!!!!

We set out yesterday morning to the Arizona Challenger Space Center and what a blast we had. It's inexpensive, there's so much to see and learn, there's tours, presentations and gift shop etc.

Curt and Jasmine sat in on the presentation they had about "Understanding the Nature of Light", they really enjoyed it and I was only able to catch bits and pieces because it was an hour long and Nicholas was NOT going to sit through it. I spent the time walking around the building, letting him play in the rotunda which is surrounded by this six-story mural depicting the beginning of the universe, dinosaur time, human race, flight and space flight etc. It's beautiful!!!

Here's a slideshow of the pics I took:

We left the Space Center and headed to Cracker Barrel for dinner, on the way there we came across a dust storm. Curt is used to them, everytime he got deployed to the desert he would tell me about the horrible dust storms they went through, but for me and the kids it was pretty much the first time. It's horrible but I got some good pictures of the storm moving in and it was just amazing watching the cloud move across the land........look at these pictures, the storm is coming in from the left.




Suddenly we were right in the middle of it, driving down the freeway and all you could see was brown in front of you, the cars were slowing down and there was so much dust around.




We made it to Cracker Barrel and had a wonderful dinner then browsed around the gift store. Seriously, is there anyone out there that can get through that store without picking up at least one thing??? Because I can't, if it was up to me I would bring the whole store home. LOL
We walked out with some old fashioned bottled sodas, some old fashioned candy and I picked up a Gooseberry Patch cookbook "Slow Cooker Recipes". You better believe that I'll be picking up the whole collection of cookbooks they have, not all at once obviously, but slowly LOL


I also picked up one of my favorite lotions from Dionis "Blue Ridge Wildflower", it's made with goats milk and it's just wonderful, I love it.

Right next door to Cracker Barrel is the Cabela's World Outfitters and it's basically a HUGE store for outdoors stuff, camping, fishing, hiking, hunting and whatnot.

"massive 230,000 sq. ft. showroom is an educational and entertainment attraction, featuring a décor of museum-quality animal displays, huge aquariums and trophy animals interacting in realistic re-creations of their natural habitats."

They're NOT kidding when they say this, it's really not just a publicity stunt to bring in people, you have to see it to believe it. There's the retail store, there is a restaurant which offers burgers and sandwiches etc but also some specialties such as Venison, Buffalo and Ostrich. There's a chocolate shop with so much yummy stuff and while you're walking around on the top floor (where all this is located), there's a small airplane hanging from the ceiling and all around you there's rocks with animals displayed on them in real life situations, attacking each other, or grazing or jumping over rocks.....it's just amazing. These are REAL life stuffed animals and we just couldn't believe the selection they had.

They also had an African Exhibit which made me feel right at home....the kids were jumping up and down and asking if these were all the animals they would see next year at the Kruger National Park. Now they're even MORE excited to go.



I have a LOT more pictures to share, but I'll do it another time.

This afternoon we're heading to the Glendale Main Library, it's HUGE, it's like being inside a Borders or Barnes and Noble, there's coffee shops and Booksales, Computer rooms and Youth areas and tons and tons of books. Can't wait.

I'll be back tomorrow with my Menu Plan Monday, don't forget to go on over to Laura's blog and add your name to Mr Linky if you're interested in sharing your own menu.

God Bless,